The campaign was so effective that the state abandoned other expensive anti-littering campaigns, and five years into the “Don't Mess With Texas” campaign, roadside litter had decreased 72%.Īnd it isn't just that the Heath brothers tell such great stories, they show how you - as a manager, a marketer, an organizational change agent, or a politician - can craft new messages, and evaluate and alter your current messages to have the greatest impact. The Heath brothers show us how, while warm and cuddly appeals to stop litter had failed in Texas, this simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, and emotional message – which had a toughness that appealed to conservative rednecks, not just liberal tree-huggers – quickly became a favorite bumper sticker, was known and could be recalled by 73% of Texans just a few months after the campaign was launched, and roadside litter declined in Texas declined nearly 30% within a year. One of my favorites is their analysis of the success of the “Don't Mess with Texas” anti-littering campaign.

The book focuses squarely on using this research to help you design your own messages that will stick and affect what people actually do. I love how the Heath brothers dissect false stories and myths, (like “you only use 10% of your brain”) to show what kinds ideas spread and persist, and what kinds don't. This is one of the most important business books ever written.

Make it stick heath